“What a lifechanging week!”, all of us shouted.
Summer school in Cambridge had ended and we said our teary-eyed goodbyes…

Just one week! One week that was so inspiring that all of us felt like Peter Pan had sneaked up on us in our bedrooms and had kidnapped us to Never Never Land.

So, what happened?

This June I felt like I needed a good kick up the old illustration butt.
Running a shop, working on commissions, and teaching illustration as well as psychology had taken their toll.
I had to get back in the artistic saddle and create something of my own again.
I looked around for nice summer schools, remembered Marloes de Vries being oh-so enthusiastic about the Children’s Book Illustration one in Cambridge and decided to enroll.
It turned out to be the best thing I could’ve done for myself.

I photographed this sign on my way to campus.
I was so so nervous, carrying 14 kilos of art supplies, wondering what I was getting myself into: an insecure 18-year old Erasmus student all over again!

But of course summer school was amazing.
The teachers were the best ones around, special credits to Pam Smy, Marta Altes, Courtney Dicmas, Ness Wood and Imogen Clare.
We got to work on our very own children’s book (dummy) for one whole week, including daily lectures and one-on-ones.
What a treat!

Already on day two I texted Mr Rockstar: “Houston, we’ve got a problem… I don’t want to go home anymore!”

The rest of the week I felt like I was going mental.
I felt absolutely torn between wanting to have more of this, wanting to sign up for the MA, and having this already wonderful life back in the Netherlands.
At one point I thought to myself: what would Lecturer-me do?
I started to look for possibilities instead of racking my brain about all the impossibilities.
And of course… with the right sacrifices it turned out I could do it!

And I ENROLLED! And GOT ACCEPTED!

(without having finished my art school bachelor’s degree!)

This will be a crazy two and a half years, flying back and forth, but I am going to do this!

I will try to keep you guys updated on my progression.
Status right now: shaky knees! Feeling so nervous again!

For those of you that want to know what I have actually been sketching that whole week…